Question about internode spacing and side-branching

[sativo]

Hey all, I have one of those plants that has a ridiculous amount of nodes and is like 3-4 inches tall. I would like to know if this is a good thing. I also have one huge female that has the same amount of nodes but is like 8 inches tall. It's weird because the short one seems more sativa while the tall one is certainly indica. The short one has thin, light green leaves, and the tall one has very thick, dark green leaves. Wich one would you folks keep? I mean, I think the short sativa one is a bit of a runt, but it has as many nodes as the tall one, the main thing that concerns me is that it's so short yet it's side-branches are only as big as the tall one's, being so close to the light you would think they would be longer.
That reminds me of my second question, if a strain has fast growing, long side-branches does that generally mean that it will yield more than one that has short side-branches? I'm confused Well, thanks everyone

 

[Rosy Cheeks]

Your plants are still very young, and it is way too early to say which one you're going to keep. Most growers develop criterias for what they look for in a plant, it can be the greatest high or yield, smell or ease of growth, etc. You decide for yourself what pheno you want to keep. Phenotype (lenght, width) could be one of them, if you've got a limited growspace.
Once Sativa and Indica traits are crossed into a hybrid, they express themselves in many different ways. A cross can grow tall and lanky, but still be mainly Indica - such as Black Domina for instance, or it can be the other way around.

Short internodes could mean that your genetics are well adapted to indoor growing, or that you're giving your plants the right amount of (blue) light and are keeping them at the right distance from the canopy. Plants that do get all the light they need stretch less. Good sidebranching is more interesting in a SCROG than in Sea Of Green, but in general it means that the plant grows more horisontally than vertically, and therefore adapts itself better to the horisontal lighting. In theory, you want all the budsites to be at the same distance from the bulbs. That way, maximum carbohydrate production, maximum yield.

 

[sativo]

Thanks Rosy Cheeks, very informative stuff, btw, do you like SCROG or SOG better? :smile:

 

[Rosy Cheeks]

You know, it's kind of like choosing between a monkey wrench or a screwdriver. You use them for two different purposes. They way you grow is the tool you use in order to get the job done the best way possible. If you grow a strain that grows and yields better in a Sea of Green, then that's the way to grow, and the same thing with SCROG. So it depends. Some people get all emotional about organic soil growing, hydroponics, vertical or horisontal lighting, etc. I don't invest myself in one particular way of growing, it all depends. Better stay flexible and inventive.

But I loove SCROGging !